1. Essential Question:
What was the impact of European imperialism on China?
Warm Up Questions:

2. The Chinese have always referred to themselves as the “Middle Kingdom”
The Chinese viewed outsiders as barbarians & saw little value in trade with foreign merchants
The Great Wall was built to protect China from barbarian attacks

3. But, outsiders came across the Silk Road for China’s exotic goods
As a result, China became the dominant empire in Asia (and the world)

4. But, outside merchants always had to obey Chinese rules & show respect
China eventually did trade which helped spread Chinese culture throughout Asia
But, outside merchants always had to obey Chinese rules & show respect

5. In 1644, northern invaders called Manchus conquered China & created the Qing Dynasty
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Qing China faced 2 challenges that would threaten China’s future strength
Manchus Found the Qing Dynasty
By 1600, the Ming had ruled for more than 200 years, and the dynasty was weakening. Its problems grew—ineffective rulers, corrupt officials, and a government that was out of money. Higher taxes and bad harvests pushed millions of peasants toward starvation. Civil strife and rebellion followed. Northeast of the Great Wall lay Manchuria. In 1644, the Manchus (MAN•chooz), the people of that region, invaded China and the Ming dynasty collapsed. The Manchus seized Beijing, and their leader became China’s new emperor. As the Mongols had done in the 1300s, the Manchus took a Chinese name for their dynasty, the Qing (chihng) dynasty. They would rule for more than 260 years and expand China’s borders to include Taiwan, Chinese Central Asia, Mongolia, and Tibet.
China Under the Qing
Many Chinese resisted rule by the non-Chinese Manchus. Rebellions flared up periodically for decades. The Manchus, however, slowly earned the people’s respect. They upheld China’s traditional Confucian beliefs and social structures. They made the country’s frontiers safe and restored China’s prosperity. Two powerful Manchu rulers contributed greatly to the acceptance of the new dynasty.
The first, Kangxi (kahng•shee), became emperor in 1661
and ruled for some 60 years. He reduced government expenses and lowered taxes. A scholar and patron of the arts, Kangxi gained the support of intellectuals by offering them government positions. He also enjoyed the company of the Jesuits at court. They told him about developments in science, medicine, and mathematics in Europe. Under his grandson Qian-long (chyahn•lung), who ruled from 1736 to 1795, China reached its greatest size and prosperity. An industrious emperor like his grandfather, Qian-long often rose at dawn to work on the empire’s problems. These included armed nomads on its borders and the expanding presence of European missionaries and merchants in China.
Manchus Continue Chinese Isolation
To the Chinese, their country—called the Middle Kingdom—had been the cultural center of the universe for 2,000 years. If foreign states wished to trade with China, they would have to follow Chinese rules. These rules included trading only at special ports and paying tribute. The Dutch were masters of the Indian Ocean trade by the time of Qian-long. They accepted China’s restrictions. Their diplomats paid tribute to the emperor through gifts and by performing the required “kowtow” ritual. This ritual involved kneeling in front of the emperor and touching one’s head to the ground nine times. As a result, the Chinese accepted the Dutch as trading partners. The Dutch returned home with traditional porcelains and silk, as well as a new trade item, tea. By 1800, tea would make up 80 percent of shipments to Europe. Great Britain also wanted to increase trade with China. But the British did not like China’s trade restrictions. In 1793, Lord George Macartney delivered a letter from King George III to Qian-long. It asked for a better trade arrangement, including Chinese acceptance of British manufactured goods. Macartney refused to kowtow, and Qian-long denied Britain’s request. In the 1800s, the British, Dutch, and others would attempt to chip away at China’s trade restrictions until the empire itself began to crack
A population boom led to a rise in the number of Chinese peasants & competition for land

6. What did Emperor Long say to King George?
European missionaries & merchants arrived in Asia with hopes of trading with China
In 1793, Chinese Emperor Qian Long wrote a letter to answer a request for trade by British King George III:
“Strange and costly objects do not interest me… As your Ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things. I set no value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for your country's manufactures.“
What did Emperor Long say to King George?
Swaying the wide world, I have but one aim in view, namely, to maintain a perfect governance and to fulfil the duties of the State: strange and costly objects do not interest me. If I have commanded that the tribute offerings sent by you, O King, are to be accepted, this was solely in consideration for the spirit which prompted you to dispatch them from afar. Our dynasty's majestic virtue has penetrated unto every country under Heaven, and Kings of all nations have offered their costly tribute by land and sea. As your Ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things. I set no value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for your country's manufactures. This then is my answer to your request to appoint a representative at my Court, a request contrary to our dynastic usage, which would only result in inconvenience to yourself. I have expounded my wishes in detail and have commanded your tribute Envoys to leave in peace on their homeward journey. It behoves you, O King, to respect my sentiments and to display even greater devotion and loyalty in future, so that, by perpetual submission to our Throne, you may secure peace and prosperity for your country hereafter. Besides making gifts (of which I enclose an inventory) to each member of your Mission, I confer upon you, O King, valuable presents in excess of the number usually bestowed on such occasions, including silks and curios-a list of which is likewise enclosed. Do you reverently receive them and take note of my tender goodwill towards you! A special mandate

7. The Chinese had little interest in trading with the West & were able to reject trade offers
China had a healthy agricultural economy, large deposits of natural resources, & manufactured products like silk, cotton clothes, porcelain
For decades, China exported goods to European merchants but refused to buy European products
The British were desperate to find a product that the Chinese would buy…

8. …In the 1800s, the British smuggled opium from India into China
By 1835, 12 million Chinese citizens were addicted to opium
These Europeans refused to accept the Chinese customs

9. Read an excerpt from Commissioner Lin’s letter to Queen Victoria
When Britain refused to end the opium trade, Commission Lin appealed directly to British Queen Victoria
Read an excerpt from Commissioner Lin’s letter to Queen Victoria
The Chinese outlawed opium sales & appointed Commissioner Lin to end opium smuggling

10. Britain used its modern navy to easily win the Opium Wars (1839-1842)
The British refused to end the opium trade & China declared war on Britain
Britain used its modern navy to easily win the Opium Wars ( )

11. The Treaty of Nanjing ended the Opium Wars: Britain received Hong Kong & extraterritorial rights in China ( foreigners were not subject to Chinese laws)

12. In addition to its foreign problems, China also faced major problems with its own people
By 1850, China’s population grew so rapidly that agriculture could not keep up
In 1853, Hong Xiuquan led the Taiping Rebellion in an attempt end poverty among peasants
The Qing defeated the rebels in 1864 but the rebellion killed 20 million people & weakened China

13. Britain & other industrial powers took advantage of China’s weakness to force China to sign unequal trade treaties in particular ports
By 1900, China was carved into a series of spheres of influences: areas where a foreign nation had exclusive trade rights

14. The division of China worried the USA that it would be shut out of Chinese trade
In 1899, the USA proposed an Open Door Policy in China so merchants from all nations can trade freely

15. The growth of foreign influence, poverty among peasants, & Christianity upset many Chinese
In 1900, frustrated Chinese led the Boxer Rebellion to expel foreigners from China
An army of 19,000 British, French, American soldiers finally ended the Boxer Rebellion

16. Reformers looked to the West for ways to fix China
The power of foreign imperialists & the violence of the Boxer Rebellion led to calls to reform China
Reformers looked to the West for ways to fix China
In 1911, Sun Yat-sen led an overthrow of the Qing Dynasty & created a democracy with a written constitution
Sun’s goal was to promote nationalism, democracy, & economic security for all Chinese citizens
SETTING THE STAGE In the early 1900s, China was ripe for revolution. China had faced years of humiliation at the hands of outsiders. Foreign countries controlled its trade and economic resources. Many Chinese believed that modernization and nationalism held the country’s keys for survival. They wanted to build up the army and navy, to construct modern factories, and to reform education. Yet others feared change. They believed that China’s greatness lay in its traditional ways.
Nationalists Overthrow Qing Dynasty
Among the groups pushing for modernization and nationalization was the Kuomintang (KWOH•mihn•TANG), or the Nationalist Party. Its first great leader was Sun Yixian (soon yee•shyahn). In 1911, the Revolutionary lliance, a forerunner
of the Kuomintang, succeeded in overthrowing the last emperor of the
Qing dynasty. The Qing had ruled China since 1644.
Shaky Start for the New Republic In 1912, Sun became president of the new Republic of China. Sun hoped to establish a modern government based on the “Three Principles of the People”: (1) nationalism—an end to foreign control, (2) people’s rights—democracy, and (3) people’s livelihood—economic security for all Chinese. Sun Yixian considered nationalism vital. He said, “The Chinese people do not have national spirit. Therefore even though we have four hundred million people gathered together in one China, in reality, they are just a heap of loose sand.” Despite his lasting influence as a revolutionary leader, Sun lacked the authority and military support to secure national unity. Sun turned over the presidency to a powerful general, Yuan Shikai, who quickly betrayed the democratic ideals of the revolution. His actions sparked local revolts. After the general died in 1916, civil war broke out. Real authority fell into the hands of provincial warlords or powerful military leaders. They ruled territories as large as their armies could conquer.
Over 3,000 years of dynastic rule came to an end